1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a single-unit video camera-recording apparatus and a recording apparatus for use in a single-unit video camera-recording apparatus and a recording apparatus using a variety of recording media, such as an optical disc, a magnetic tape, a magnetic disc or the like, for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows an example of a conventional single-unit video camera-recorder. This single-unit video camera-recorder comprises a camera unit and a VTR (video tape recorder) unit secured together or the VTR unit detachably attached to the camera unit to record a video signal obtained from a CCD (charge-coupled device) on a magnetic tape by the VTR unit.
According to the single-unit video camera-recorder shown in FIG. 1, when the user (referred to hereinafter as "cameraman") operates a video camera unit 1 by means of an operation unit 1, the video camera unit 1 is controlled by a control signal supplied to the video camera unit 1 through a connector 2 from a system controller 8. When an operation for controlling the VTR unit, such as record, playback, rewind, fast forward or the like, is designated by the operation unit 1, the system controller 8 supplies a control signal to a microcomputer 16 and a tape transport 11 is controlled by the microcomputer 16. Under the above-mentioned control operation, the cameraman can take a picture of an object or record a video signal obtained when the cameraman takes a picture of the object on the magnetic tape by the single-unit video camera-recorder.
Upon recording, the video signal obtained when the cameraman takes a picture of the object by the video camera unit 1 is processed in various manners, such as automatic gain adjustment, white balance adjustment, black balance adjustment, switching of electronic shutter speed or the like, by operating the operation unit 9. Then, the video signal thus processed is supplied through a connector 2 to a video signal input processing unit 3, in which it is pre-processed for recording and supplied to a recording signal processing unit 4. The video signal supplied to the recording signal processing unit 4 is processed in various manners so that it can be recorded on a recording medium.
An audio signal collected by a microphone 5 is supplied through a connector 6 to an audio signal input processing unit 7, in which it is pre-processed for recording and then supplied to the recording signal processing unit 4. Then, the audio signal is processed in various manners for recording together with the video signal. The audio signal thus processed is supplied through an amplifying circuit 10 and a rotary transformer 12 to a head 14 mounted on a rotary drum 13 together with the video signal, thereby being recorded on a magnetic tape (not shown) with the head 14 so as to form slant tracks.
Various types of single-unit video camera-recorders are now commercially available on the market, and any of these single-unit video camera-recorders includes the single tape transport.
Because the single-unit video camera-recorder records a video signal on a recording medium, if a remaining amount of the recording medium is lost, it is then necessary for the cameraman to set a new recording medium in the single-unit video-camera recorder.
Regardless of amateur or professional, the cameraman does not wish to interrupt the shooting whenever the cameraman encounters with a shutter release opportunity for taking an important picture (e.g., when valuable animals appeared, etc.). If the cameraman were required to change the recording medium with a new one even when the cameraman encountered with the shutter release opportunity, the cameraman would lose such important shutter release opportunity.
When the cameraman is taking a picture during a long time by using the single-unit video camera-recorder, the cameraman must set a new video tape cassette after the remaining amount of the video tape cassette provided as a recording medium is lost. Consequently, it is unavoidable that the cameraman suffers from a loss produced when taking a picture. Also, there is then the possibility that the cameraman will miss the important shutter release opportunity.
Further, even though the remaining amount of the recording medium is sufficient and the cameraman can take a picture satisfactorily, there is the possibility that a picture cannot be recorded on the recording medium due to a failure of the tape transport or the like.